Connecter element for spring structures



June 17, 1930. R. E. M ELROY CONNECTER ELEMENT FOR SPRING STRUCTURES Filed March 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TQR.

A TTORNE Y.

June 17, 1930. R. E. MCELRQY l',764,967

CONNECTER ELEMENT FOR SPRING STRUCTURES Filed March 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17,1930

j :UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE:

ROBERT E. MCELROY'aOF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOREYNOLDS SPRING COM- PANY, F JACKSON, MICHIGAN CONNECTER ELEMENT FOR SPRING STRUCTURES if 7 Application filed March 6,

I f tion of loops in either the upper border wire orin the adjacent frame wire, and the bights H of theloops have been clipped to the'adj acent wire. .The spring seat structures under dif- V ferent'orders generally Vary in size, and the distance between the border and frame wires varies with the result that the loops have had to be made of lengths depending" upon different specifications and requiring the production of special looped wires for different orders. In addition to the necessity of forming these loops in either the border or a frame wire, requiring expense and time, there has been difficulty experienced in lining up the wires to be connected, and this has caused more less of time. Sometimes the wires have become bent in the assembling process incident to efiorts to properly line up the parts, "allto the disadvantage and defect of the structure. v This bending of the wires somelesjtimeshappens after assembly of the parts,

incident to the weight of the occupant of the seat, and in instancesthere has been breakage of parts, in addition to the difficulty ex perienced by parts becoming bent out of shape at the time of assembly or thereafter. Moreover, by reason of special orders, .various other parts haveto be madeto meet requirements. a V V It is, therefore, one object of the present 4 invention to obviate the usual loop form of 1928. Serial No. 259,559.

connection between the overhanging extension and the structure, so as to reduce the cost of manufacture and eliminate the said difficulties attendant upon alignments, and to provide as a new article of manufacture, a connecter element designed to make an efiective connection between the overhanging extension and the structure, and in such a manner as to prevent tipping or twisting of the border springs adjacent the extension, the c onnecter being of a character such as to be carried in stock in large quantities and readily applicable to various sized structures wherein varying distances exist between the extension and the structure proper.

Another object resides in the provision of a spring structure wherein there is an overhanging extension and in which there is provided a connecting device between the extensions and one or more body springs of the structure, so that as the springs are subjected to pressure incident to the weight of the rider such springs are maintained against twisting or undue tipping and the upper frame parts thereby protected against accidental bending or breakage or separation.

Another object is to provide a spring structure composed of parts which may be kept in large quantities and readily brought to gether into an organization to meet various requirements irrespective of size and dimensions.

With the above and other objectsinview,

the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it'being understood that various changes in the form, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Fig. 1 is a topplan view of the invention,

- clips 9 to the front border sprin a portion of the top frame being broken away to show the base frame.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.

Fig. 3' is a detail perspective view of the connecter element.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a base frame of any suitable t-dpe and 2 indicates an ordinary upper bor er wire frame. ghe character 3 designates bod ri '0 common T e f h g: border fram is shown as extending yond the front row of springs and atone side the border frame extends beyond the border springs at that side of the structure it bein understood that where the upper border frame oxtmdsjbeyond'the opposite side of the structure it would be in like or similar manner to that showm'enthe one side in Fig. 1, each side, in other words, having a separate frame wire 4 inwardly spaced "from the side of the 11 per border frame and secured by clips 75 to t ie side border gs and having its ends bent into para lelism with the front and back of the up er frame andegecured theretoby clips 6 and l' respectiv' J A frame 8, splased inwardly from the jfifont of the upper me and disposed verover the front of the base frame 1 substantially in horizontal alignment with the front of the u per frame 2, is secured by and has "its ends bent in parallelism wit ends of the upper frame and secured thereto'by clips 10, thewire 8 intersecting the wire 4 at the front corners of the structure, thereby to stifl'en and brace the front corners.

, When pressure is placed on the front or side overhanging portion of the upper frame, incident to the weight of the occupant, there is a tendency of the adjacent springs to tip and twist, an this tipping and twisting action on the springs tends to pull parts of the structure apart and sometimes the border frame becomes bent and does not return to a normal straight line position. These defects manifest themselves even where the frame wires and adjacent overhanging u per frame portion are connected together as y forming oops in one or the other of said frame parts and clipping the bights of the loo 5 to ad *jacent frame parts. Therefore, provide connecting elements A of peculiar shape and design which are connected at spaced points to the frame wires and the adjacent border.

frameparts, and to one or two of the 'body 7 springs. For inmanee, ugh connecter. ele- 'mentA includesmn intermediate or main portion 11 adapted toengage and extend parallel with the cured themto'by means of a suitable Clip 12. One end of eaclr main portion 11 of each connectar element hasan L-shaped or double armed part 13 extending forwardly therebraces maybe kept in s adjacent fmme wire 4- -8, and sefrom and bridging the space between the frame wire and the overhangin front or overhanging side of the upper ame and secured to the overhanging part of the upper frame by means of a ClIP 14. A straight arm 15 extends inwardly between rows or springs from the opposite end of the main part of each connecter element, and may be of a length to extend to the aligning spring behind the corresponding border spring 3, but in any event of a le th to extend alongside the top coil of the a 1 cent body spring and secured thereto by means of a suitable clip 16. By virtue of the clipadfl, l4andl6efi'ect- .mg a tightconnection of the connecter elements A with the structure elements specified,

the ovenlnngingiporfions of the structure are mg spring, as'sho'wn, an clipped'theretp by means of gaclip I8, the connection of the straight arms to two springs 'ihsteadof one spring provides greater security a ainst tipping or twisting of the sprin S an accusequent detrimental eaea upon e'structure.

' 9P d r frame, thef'fra'me wires ,and the .c onnecter elements Afinay be produced in various sizes in'lar quantifies and .carriedinstoek for'assexnb to meet different specificationsfor seatsos to size or dimensions. These parts may be standardized the same as the body springs 3 andthe clips and the 17, as ma also. the baselframe andthe usual diagonal racesjl9, if used, and which latter, if used, may be securedat their upper ends by the same clips H which secure the double armed outer parts 13 of the oontheftnecter elements A to thfogkpper frame. These of various le'n to facilitate'the present idea ofmass ,production.

The present'type of connector element. A

has a decided advantage in the production of cushion spring structures where an extension or bver 3 req nired, and is simple, dnrable,an eficient'in use, and readily and easily applied 'and obviates the time and ex-.

pense heretofore involved in the formation of connectingloops as wellias thedifiicult 'heretofore experienced in the coped parts with other. parts of thestructnre.

Whatisclaimed 1s 1. "The combination ofa base frame, springs within the frame, anupper e having a part overhanging the springs, a. frame wire between the overhanging part of the upper 'frame and the adjacent border springs and connected to the latter, and a connecter element secured intermediate its ends to the cured to the upper frame and to said frame wire and'having a portion extending inwardly between rows of springs and secured at spaced points to coils of two aligning springs of one row.

3. In a spring structure, the combination of a base frame, rows of springs within said frame, an upper frame, a frame wire cooperoverhanging extension at the top of the structure, and a connecter element secured to the upper frame and to said frame wire and having a portion extending inwardly alongside the top coil of one of said springs and adjacenlt the inner end thereof secured to said 001 4:. As a new article of manufacture, a connecter element for connecting spring structure parts together, consisting of an intermediate part, a double armed part projecting from one end of the intermediate part, and

substantially a right angle from the opposite end of said intermediate part.

5. In a spring structure, a base frame, springs within the base frame, an upper frame extending at the front and one side beyond the border springs, a frame wire connected to the front row of springs and to the sides of the upper frame and spaced from the front of the upper frame, a frame wire connected to the springs at one side of the structure and to the front and rear of the upper frame and spaced from the adj acentside ofthe upper frame and intersecting the first named frame wire at one corner of the structure to stiflen said corner, a connecter element connecting the first mentioned frame wire wlth the front. of the upper frame, and a connecter element connecting the second mentioned frame wire and the side of the upper frame.

6. In a spring structure, a base frame, springs within the base frame, an upper frame I extending at the front and one side beyond the border springs, a frame wire connected to the front row of springs and to the sides of the upper frame and spaced from the front of the upper frame, a frame wire connected to the springsat one side of the structure and I to the front and rear of the upper frame and spaced from the adjacent side of the upper frame and intersecting the first named frame In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT E. MCELROY.

eating with the upper frame to provide an a relatively long straight arm projecting at 

